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Friday, October 31

INBEE PARK IS AGAIN ON TOP of the world of women's golf. Not only is Park No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, she leads the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship after 36 holes. Park is a blistering 18 under after rounds of 62 and 64 at Miramar Golf Country Club in Taipai. Shanshan Feng trails by three shots.“Everything was working really good out there today,” Park said.“I probably didn’t hit as close as yesterday but I holed a lot of putts today. Obviously, two days without the wind here in Taiwan is really unusual and I thought I should take advantage of that for two days and I feel like I did that.”
Park has carded 17 birdies and an eagle through two rounds. She has hit 23 of 28 fairways, found 32 of 36 greens in regulation, and recorded 52 putts (26 in each round).

You can watch weekend coverage on Golf Channel beginning at 3 a.m. ET on Saturday and 2 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Thursday, October 30

The following edited content was supplied by Golf Channel in a news release.

The PGA TOUR is in Malaysia this week for the CIMB Classic at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, with Sergio Garcia, Billy Horschel and Patrick Reed headlining the field.

The Champions Tour holds its season-culminating Charles Schwab Cup Championship, with Bernhard Langer holding an 845 point lead in the Schwab Cup standings over Colin Montgomerie, clinching the title last week at the AT&T Championship.

The European Tour’s Final Series begins this week at the BMW Championship, in the first of four consecutive events that will conclude with the DP World Tour Championship next month.

Suzann Pettersen will defend her title in the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship for a second consecutive year, looking to win the event for a third straight time this week.

Langer set to grab Schwab Cup prize:With last week’s T-6 finish at the AT&T Championship, Bernhard Langer clinched the Charles Schwab Cup, holding an 845 point lead over Colin Montgomerie heading into this week. If Montgomerie were to win this week and Langer to finish in 30th (last place), Langer would still win the Schwab Cup and the $1 million first place prize.

Final Series kicks off:The BMW Masters is the first of four consecutive events that make up the European Tour’s Final Series. Each tournament will have no more than 78 players in the field, and will feature no cut. Players in the field also are vying for the Race to Dubai, with the top-15 at the end of the DP World Tour Championship receiving a portion of the $5 million bonus pool, and $1.25 million going to the eventual winner.

Fernandez-Castano defends:Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano finished one stroke ahead of Francesco Molinari and Thongchai Jaidee for his seventh career European Tour victory.

Park in the field, back at No. 1: Although she did not play in last week’s Blue Bay LPGA, Inbee Park regained the No. 1 position in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and returns to competition this week for the first time since returning to No. 1 in the world.

Pettersen defends:Suzann Pettersen finished five shots clear of the field in 2013 to successfully defend her title, earning her 14th career LPGA victory, and her fourth in 2013.

Wednesday, October 29

Fred Hawkins often practiced with the most feared player on the circuit—Ben Hogan. “I played a number of practice rounds with [Hogan],” Hawkins told me. “[H]e’d always ask me to come down to Fort Worth a couple of days early so he’d get a little competition [and] practice that way.” In the continuation of this series, you'll learn about Hawkins and his Hogan stories. Read Part 1.

Fred Hawkins and Ben Hoganprior to their 1959 playoff.

FRED HAWKINS MADE HIS ONLY Ryder Cup appearance in 1957, a rare loss for the Americans during an era when they dominated the matches against Great Britain and Ireland.“I’ve always felt that was one of the things I enjoyed the most,” he said.That year, Hawkins was the only man on his side to win in singles, a 2 and 1 victory over Peter Alliss.

“The Ryder Cup in those years was played just two days. The first day was a 36-hole match of alternate shot and then the second day was 36 holes singles. That was all there was to it. In later years they put in more days of play and the better-ball events, too, which I think is a good improvement.

“In those days you could play either ball you wanted. I played the small ball over there [in Great Britain] because I could drive it so much farther. It sat down in the grass a little, and I like the way it putted, too.”Hawkins missed out two years later when the matches were played at Eldorado Country Club in Palm Desert, California. “I would have been on the Ryder Cup team again in ‘59, I believe, if they had counted [the Colonial National Invitational Tournament] where Hogan beat me in the playoff,” he said.

“But at that time the tour officials were squabbling with the people at Colonial. It was not called an official tournament. Ryder Cup points didn’t count.”

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Hawkins was on the losing end of what turned out to be Ben Hogan’s last PGA Tour victory and his fifth win in his hometown tournament at Colonial. It was the Hawk’s 64th title. He was 47. The two players were tied after the regulation 72 holes.“It was an 18-hole playoff the next day,” Hawkins said, “and the wind blew about 40 miles per hour. He shot 69. I shot 73, which is a pretty good score. But he said it was the best round he ever played under those conditions.”Colonial was one of the toughest tracks on the circuit at the time.“It was always very narrow. It wasn’t all that long. You had to stay straight. Some of the greens were protected by trees on each side and so on. It required that you had to be very straight off the tee.”

Tuesday, October 28

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING the tragic end to Ted Bishop's PGA of America presidency and the aftermath, Tuesday's extended Golf Channel Morning Drive interview conducted by host Gary Williams might be of interest. Had we heard these comments from Bishop four days ago I expect things would have turned out differently for the former PGA president. Bishop explains why that didn't happen and a lot more.

Friday, October 24

Laura Davies, David Graham, Mark O’Meara and A.W. Tillinghast will be enshrined into the World Golf Hall of Fame as the Class of 2015. Following is a profile of O'Meara.By World Golf Hall of Fame Communications

Mark O'Meara

Golf fans will remember 1998 as the year Mark O’Meara established himself as one of the game’s greats, when he captured both the Masters and Open Championship. That season, when he birdied the final two holes at Augusta National to defeat Fred Couples and David Duval by one shot, then outlasted Brian Watts in a four-hole playoff to win at Royal Birkdale, made him, at age 41, the oldest player ever to win two majors in one year. It was no surprise when he was named the 1998 PGA TOUR Player of the Year.

His myriad career highlights go beyond those two victories, starting in 1979 when he won the U.S. Amateur at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland. O’Meara has more than 20 victories worldwide, and has represented the United States in five Ryder Cups and two Presidents Cups.

“Thanks go out to my family and friends on this incredible day,” O’Meara said. “To have the great honor of being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame is a dream come true.”

IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN DAILY. A tweet or a Facebook post or other social media message enters the digital world and wreaks unnecessary havoc.

Yesterday's social media fail was authored by PGA of America President Ted Bishop. Bishop, who was spending time with golf great and former European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo, took exception to comments written about Faldo in Ian Poulter's new book, NO LIMITS.

"Used to be athletes who had lesser records or accomplishment in a sport never criticized the icons. Tom Watson (8 majors and 10-3-1 Ryder Cup record) and Nick Faldo (6 majors and all-time Ryder Cup points leader) get bashed by Ian Poulter. Really? Sounds like a school girl squealing during recess. C'MON MAN!"

In a statement released to Golf Channel, Poulter said:

"Is being called a 'lil girl' meant to be derogatory or a put down? That's pretty shocking and disappointing, especially coming from the leader of the PGA of America. No further comment."

Bishop deleted the tweet and post and the PGA of America called the messages "inappropriate."

This is no way to lead a sport that seeks to be more inclusive. "When will the struggling golf industry realize its sexism is terrible for business?" tweeted USA Today columnist Christine Brennan. Besides that, it's just plain silly to direct post-Ryder Cup frustrations at an opposing player for all the world to see.

Thursday, October 23

AT LAST WEEK'S FRYS.COM OPEN, Shawn Stefani hit a 401-yard drive on a 410-yard hole. There was a caveat: Stefani's smash was a cart-path-aided drive."There's no way I could have hit one of those without the help of concrete," Stefani told PGATour.com.Another thing: "I made par," Stefani commented. "So it is what it is."These guys who are good are also long off the tee. How long? The tour published the following chart showing drives of 400-plus yards in recent seasons.

The following edited content was supplied by Golf Channel in a news release.

Chris Kirk will try to defend his 2013 title in his home state this week at the McGladrey Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga., with Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson and Webb Simpson also headlining the field.

The Champions Tour is in San Antonio for the AT&T Championship, which is the final opportunity for players to try to position themselves inside the top-30 of the season-long Schwab Cup points race, which would qualify them for next week’s season-culminating Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona.

The inaugural Blue Bay LPGA in China begins on Wednesday, with Michelle Wie in the field, coming off her best finish since returning from a finger injury with last week’s T5 finish in the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship.

Jason Dufner headlines the field in Australia at the European Tour’s ISPS Handa Perth International, making his first start since withdrawing from the PGA Championship in August with a neck injury that kept him out of the FedExCup Playoffs and the Ryder Cup.

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PGA TOUR

McGladrey ClassicDates: Oct. 23-26

Venue: Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course), St. Simons Island, Ga.

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday2-5 p.m.(Live) /8-11 p.m.(Replay)

Friday2-5 p.m.(Live) /8-11 p.m.(Replay)

Saturday2-5 p.m.(Live) /8-11 p.m.(Replay)

Sunday2-5 p.m.(Live) /8-11 p.m.(Replay)

Event Notes

Kirk defends:Chris Kirk finished one stroke ahead of Briny Baird and Tim Clark for his second career PGA TOUR win.

New event: This is the inaugural showing of the Blue Bay LPGA, the fourth of seven consecutive events being played outside of the United States this fall. The 72-hole event features an 81-player field with no cut.

Final opportunity to qualify for the Race to Dubai:This is the final event of the 2014 European Tour regular season, and the last chance for players to qualify for the four-event Final Series and Race to Dubai beginning next week with the BMW Masters in China. The ISPS Handa Perth International also serves as the only event in Australia to be co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA TOUR of Australasia.

Jeong defends:Jin Jeong outlasted Ross Fisher on the first playoff hole to win the first European Tour event of his career.

TOURS & ORGANIZATIONS

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